Bypass well packer



Jan. 14, 1958 o. `IQHNs-roN ErAL BYPASS WELL PACKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11. 1955 IIA/M. ,Q7

BYPASS WELL PACKER Mordica 0. Johnston, Glendale, Wilbur F. Bettis, Montrose, and Frank E. ONeill, Glendale, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Johnston Testers, Inc., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application January 11, 1955, Serial No. 481,078

6 Claims. (Cl. 166-130) This application is a continuation-impart of ourgcopending application Serial No. 75,562, lled February 10, 1949, now abandoned. The invention relates to well packers, and more particularly, pertains to a well packer having a bypass passageway therethrough adapted to be closed by a valve mechanism.

It is common practice to set packers within well cases in order to pack of an area of the casing occurring beneath the packing for a desired purpose. In view of the fact that the outside diameter of the packing element has a relatively close fit within the well casing, it is necessary to provide a bypass valve structure which will permit the displaced uid within the well casing to pass through the packer as it is being lowered in the well. This insures that the packer may be lowered rapidly through its said position, and also insures that when the packer is to be released from its said position, the fluid seal will be broken so that the head of liquid above the packer will pass downwardly through the packer and tend to dislodge the packer sleeve from its set position. It has also been found that when a plurality of packing rings are used in place of a continuous sleeve packer, there is agreater possibility of maximum contact of the packer unit with the casing, and thus a better seal will be created.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a multiple ring packer of the bypass type which may be easily locked to hold the bypass valve in its open position, and may easily be manipulated, when disposed at a position of setting to release the valve to permit closing thereof and allow the packer structure to be yanchored in a well casing and set at a desired position.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a multiple ring packer structure mounted on a central tubular mandrel suspended from a string of pipe in a well, and means adapted to be manipulated to anchor the packing at a desired level in the well casing, and thereafter release a bypass valve, whereby the bypass valve may be closed and the weight of a string of pipe may be ldisposed upon the packer.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in partial longitudinal f section, showing a modification in the form of theV packer. Fig. 6 is atransverse sectional view taken on line 6;-6 of Fig. 5.

tFig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on lines' 7-'-7 2,819,762 Patented Jan. 14, 195,8

`ice

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. l thereof, 10 indicates a sliding head whichis formed with a central bore 11 therethrough. The upper end of the bore communicates with a tapered thread box section 12 adapted to be connected to the lower end of the well string. A pair of longitudinally extending splines 15 extend inwardly from the inner wall of the member 10 intermediate the` ends thereof. A pair of diametrically opposed grooves 14 are defined by the longitudinally extending splines 15. As can best be seen in Figure 4, the lower ends of the spline 15 terminate in an inclined face 15a. A relatively narrow spline extension 15b extends downwardly from the face 15a adjacent the high end thereof.

p An upper mandrel section 16 is slidably mounted within the sliding head 10 and has formed at its upper end a locking head 17. The locking head 17 has a pair of longitudinally extending grooves 18 formed therein, the

grooves 18 being adapted to receive the splines 15. The

`portions 19 between the longitudinally extending grooves 18 form keys which are slidably received within the grooves 14 formed in the member 10. A pair of recesses 20 are formed in the outer surface of the locking head 17, one adjacent each of the grooves 18. The recesses 20 each have a longitudinally extending face 21 and an inclined surface 22 at right angles thereto. The upper end of each of the inclined surfaces 22 being located closely adjacent to one of the longitudinally extending grooves 18, the inclined cam surfaces 22 are inclined at approximately the same angle as the cam surfaces 15a formed on the spline members 15. During the running in of the tool, the elements of the locked assembly are initially set so that the downwardly facing inclined surfaces 15a on the splines 15 are resting on the upwardly facing incline surfaces 22 of the locking head 17, and the spline extensions 15b are received within the grooves 18 formed in the locking head 17.

A valve sleeve 23 is slidably mounted upon the upper mandrel section 16. The valve sleeve 23 has a central cylindrical bore 24 through which the upper mandrel section 16 extends. The upper end of the valve sleeve 23 is formed with a threaded extension 25 which is threaded into the threaded end 13 ofthe sliding head. The lower `en d of the valve sleeve 2.3 has a cylindrical extension 26 which is smaller in diameter than the main body ot' the sleeve. A shoulder 27 is formed in the upper end of this extension. Against this shoulder and around the portion 26 of the valve sleeve is a non-metallic seal ring 28 here disclosed as being substantially square in crosssection. Mounted directly below said seal ring and upon the extension 26 is a removable valve seat 29. lhis seat has an outside diameter substantially agreeing with the normal outside diameter ot the sealing ring28 and is formed with a downwardly and inwardlyV tapered valve face 30. A threaded length 3l is formed at theend of the extension 26 and receives a nut 32. The nut -32 is cylindrical and has a smooth outer surface. An annular square groove 33 is cut around the inner wall of the bore 24 of the valve sleeve Z3 and carriesa packing ring 34 here shown as being' of the chevron type. n l,

Mounted upon the upper mandrel section 16 and below the valve sleeve 23 is a tubular packer sleeve 35. This sleeve is of a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the mandrel 16. At` opposite ends of the sleeve inwardly .extending lugs 36 are formed which are spaced fromeachv other and which have inner arcuate faces ,agreeing with-the outside diameter ofthe'mandrel I6. rThe ["'he lower end ofthe sleeve 35 is formedwith an'enlarged'portion 37.which provides Y-fthro'u'ghthe'upperriandrel sectionanda'ilongitudially 40 nieuwe tis-:igr'eaterdggree-thanuhe intermediate. rings.

This seems to be for the reason that the end metallic n-fa ses-49--andv150- createdirectpressure against i the end rings and also create friction which prevents the portion of the ring directly in contact with the end faces from shifting outwardly so that a direct pressure is made against the central area of the outermost rings tending to expand and deforrntheseftwo rings greatly. In the form of the rings'svhown infEig. 5, theintermediate rings which are directly bearing against each other and the "contiguous 'faces'b'f the" end rings will `'contact along rubber g'surfaces only.l Observation'of this 4'actionhasproved tiat'the "twoend "rings" expand to "create a 'desired liquid seal but that the intermediate rings do not expand to suchai. great l degree: tand' "thus theretis not fanr'neliective seal throughoutthe length of theA packer. In order to create uniform ex'pans'ion'of'the' 'packer' rings and at the same time to eliminate the use of intermediate metallic washers, such as those indicated by the numerai.48 in 'the dravfii'igs;s ithas' beenfou'nd that if an -annular"'groove '-73 is'fcut in thewall'of thebore'throdghthe'ringat a -;`6inf"inte'rrnediate 'its length; sothat opposite fiat' faces "'ISJa-idi' are"'parallel"toech'fother kand normaltothe axis of "`the'1packer, there' will 'be 'uniform expansion 'of each of the rings, both with v'relation to' each other 'and as'*to=`their:individualYcontour. This infillinsuretliat a s'ealingaction-will be obtained' `by all "of the irii'igsi andhth'at atles'ired expansion willibe'prduced'without "requiring i the'application of 'an 'abnormal weight on thepacken l J''Infoperation *oifthe'present invention, Ithe packer struc- "tiiris assembled? which includes the rings" 'andi'inter- "mediate Wa"`s'h'ers*shown^A in Fig. 1 of 'thea dr'awingorthe fringsfwi'th the internal annular 'groove' such' 'as 'shown 'in 5 tthen'"connectedtothesliding head 10 by being'-v threaded fintothefendsection12. The sliding `h`ead"10,' with'the "valve sle'eve '23 threaded thereon, is then 'rotated into locking engagement with the "locking head' `17` `whereby CJthe slidingfhead "L10" 'and the mandrel 16 are liel'd v'against v1'relative f 'axial-'movement witheach 'other "to normally "'holdthe bypassvalve open. 'In this; position of the lock structure,--as"indicated in Fig'. 4,`the valve'element`29 will befpositionediabove the valve'eseatel'ement 42 and'the 5 valve 'will 'be opened. At thisltimeA 'the "slip" cone"53 i".'vill be infits'uppermost position' and'thus 'the slips"'57 lwilltbe in-*their `lowermost positions withinl'the'grooves iliavifng tapered bottonifaces'i56.

l' Itwillfbeaunderstood that due t'o 'the dovetail arrange- 'm'ntf I'theigrooves and the sides"of"theslips'theslips will ieniain'ii/i'thin'` the grooves' regardless 'of their-"longiitudinal movement. Y "When A"the slips "arel in this position -Fthespingbalsketf which includes r`spring 68,' will ne in fits' levier@position?anciennei tof the'ffact that thebowbf "the lspri'n'gs is l sicient to cause *the "springs "to- "extend 'ontwa'rdlyf'-andfrictionally [engage 'the-contiguousxcasing flwallfifitisfobviousithat'v the' vlsprings will tend'to retard `downward movement of the packerfa'nd willall'owifto becmeanchoredwhen disposed at adesired'levelfinthe 'Well Y When f this levelL is f reached 'the supportingi 'dill 'string fandithe slidinghead are rotatedfsoithatfthe'lockinghead *willnivealong the'inclin'ed-l'ceys4 I5 andlsothat thekey segments 19 will t within the keyways 14'orrned"in"the Isliding head. -Ihe= mandrelffi is"held"against'rotation with the sliding head 10 by thesprings"'68; `whichTesist rota'tion lof the mandrelx whilefpertnitting downwardy displacement thereof as the cam faces 15a are forcedagainst Lthe cam'-lat2e$i-22until4 theikeytsegme'nts 19*are aligned with the keyways 14 and the splines' '15 Varealigried'with thel'groo'ves 18. ``='When thus aligned the sliding headmay -theniaerntivedfdownwardlyfiaslthefkey .se'gmentsltravel -.alongfihekeyways 1114. As '.;thimiownward :movement 'takes place, the valve 29 will move into the b'oretSif ithe'fvalve .fseatuelement 212..-until .f it roccupes'l a,\pos'iton within the bore 43, and the inclined face 30 of-'thetvalve rests against the face 46 of the valve seat. When this takes place, the packing ring 28 will be within the large upper bore 45. Additional weight may then be placed upon the drill string and the sliding head. This weight will be directly applied to the face 46 of the valve seat by the face 30 of the valve. The result will be that the ring 28 will be compressed longitudinally and will be forced to expand laterally to form a tight seal against the wall of the bore 45. At this time the weight of the drill string will be imposed upon the valve seat element 42 which in turn will move the packing rings and the slip cone 53 downwardly while movement of the slips is resisted by friction occurring between the springs 68 and the side walls of the casing. The slips will thus stand stationary while the slip cone moves downwardly to force the slips outwardly into positive engagement with the side walls of the casing and to lock the slip cone so that it may not have any further downward travel. Up to this time the lower end of the packer sleeve 35 will be above the level of the ports 77 formed through the upper portion of the slip cone 53. After the slips are set, additional weight on the sliding head will force the valve seat structure 42 downwardly, and will thus compress the packer rings 47 against the retaining nut 39. This will force the rings to expand laterally and to make a iluidtight seal with the casing 78.

Attention is directed to the fact that due to the construction of the bypass valve 29, his valve will form a seal between the tapered faces 30 and 46, and that in addition to this seal the packing ring 28 will expand within the bore 45 and form a further seal.

When the form of invention is used as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the packing rings 47 will compress, and due to the fact that these rings are formed with the annular undercut groove 73, the central portion of the rings will tend to collapse and will cause the rings to be deformed and expanded so that they will increase in diameter uniformly and thus create a plurality of contacting faces with the well casing 78, and will bear against these faces with uniform pressure to create an efficient uid seal. In the event it is desired to release the packer, the supporting string of pipe is elevated. This will pull the sliding head 10 upwardly and will cause the sliding head and locking head to move to disengaged positions. Attention is directed to the fact that when the sliding head 10 has been drawn upwardly to a point where it will lift the valve sleeve 23, the upper mandrel section 16 will be drawn upwardly and the slip cone 53 will be lifted to cause the slips 57 to be retracted from their engaging positions. Due to the construction of the locking head and the sliding head it is possible therefore to release the packer from its set position, and if desirable to reset it at any other level.

It will thus be seen that the packer construction here disclosed is simple and compact in its construction and provides an adequate area for permitting the bypass uid to circulate as the packer runs into the well, the structure also providing means whereby the packer may be easily set and released, and when set, will produce an effective Huid-tight seal.

While we have shown the preferred form of our invention as now known to us, it will be understood that various changes may be made in combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A well packer comprising a mandrel, a sleeve mounted over the mandrel intermediate its ends and having its inner wall spaced therefrom to provide a passage therepast, packing means carried by the sleeve, a valve seat upon the upper end of the sleeve. an actuating head slidably engaging the upper end of the mandrel and providing with valve means movable therewith axially of the mandrel and sleeve from a normal unseated position spaced from said valve seat into seating engagement with the valve seat for closing the passage, a locking head upon the mandrel within the actuating head, interengag.- ing splines and keyways upon the locking head and the actuating head, means for holding the splines of the actuating head normally in axial alignment with and seating upon the splines of the locking head to prevent downward axial movement of the actuating head relative to the mandrel, and means for moving the splines into alignment with their respective keyways in response to rotation of the actuating head.

'2. A well packer comprising a mandrel, a sleeve mounted over the mandrel intermediate its ends and having its inner wall spaced therefrom to provide a passage therepast, packing means carried by the sleeve, a valve seat upon the upper end of the sleeve, an actuating head slidably engaging the upper end of the mandrel and provided with valve means movable therewith axially of themandrel and sleeve from a normal unseated position spaced from said valve seat into seating engagement with the valve seat for closing the passage, a locking head upon the mandrel within th-e actuating head, interengaging splines and keyways upon the locking head and the actuating head, means for holding the splines of the actuating head normally in axial alignment with and seating upon the splines of the locking head for preventing downward axial movement of the actuating head relative to the mandrel, interengaging cam faces upon the abutting ends of the splines for urging the splines into alignment, and means for rotating the actuating head relative tosaid locking head to move said splines into alignment with their respective keyways to permit downward movement of said actuating head relative to said locking head to seat said valve.

3. A well packer comprising a mandrel, a sleeve mounted over the mandrel intermediate its ends and having its inner wall spaced therefrom to provide a passage therepast, packing means carried by the sleeve, a valve seat upon the upper end of the sleeve, an actuating head slidably engaging the upper end of the mandrel and provided with valve means movable therewith axially of the mandrel and sleeve from a normal unseated position spaced from said valve seat into seating engagement with the valve seat for closing the passage, a locking head upon the mandrel within the actuating head, interengaging splines and keyways upon the locking head and the actuating head, means for holding the splines of the actuating head normally in axial alignment with and seating upon the splines of the locking head for preventing downward axial movement of the actuating head relative to the mandrel, and inclined cam faces upon the lower ends of the actuating head splines engageable with recesses formed in the tops of the locking head splines and having correspondingly inclined cam faces for urging the splines into alignment, and means for rotating the actuating head relative to said locking head to move said splines into alignment with their respective keyways to permit downward movement of said actuating head relative to said locking head to seat said valve.

4. A well packer comprising a mandrel, a sleeve mounted over the mandrel intermediate its ends and having its inner wall spaced therefrom to provide a passage therepast, packing means carried by the sleeve, a valve seat upon the upper end of the sleeve, an actuating head slidably engaging the upper end of the mandrel and provided with valve means movable therewith axially of the mandrel and sleeve from a normal unseated position spaced from said valve seat into seating engagement with the valve seat for closing the passage, a locking head upon the mandrel within the actuating head, splines longitudinally disposed within the actuating head, each said spline having its lower end terminating in an upwardly inclined cam face, spline extensions having a width less than said actuating head splines extending downwardly from-:said foam faces adjacent. the upward .end H. thereof,I t:

splineslongitudinally;l disposeduupon the locking head,

saida-lockinghead splinesfbeingY adapted f to -abut f thevactuatingfhead spline extensions, said locking headfsplinesf" Y being :provided with recesses normally seatingI the lower v endsof. the actuating .head Ysplines .and .having inclined faces engaging `the-camv faces thereof,I said'ffacesbeing arranged to urgesaid locking head l.spline faces rand :actuating .head spliney facesinto 1A interengaging falignment ,l

andf-saidnlocking headspl-ine *.nabuttingfrelation withv said actuating head spline extensionin response to downward thrust of said actuatinghead .relative vto said locking headgandmeansforrotatingsaid actuating head relative to -saidnlockingfheadito move .said splines into alignment with .-their=;respective lteyways to permit `downward movementfof .said :actuatingheadzrelative to said' locking head to seat 1said valve.

5. .A well-.packer comprising afmandrel, asleeve mounted over I.the mandrel'zintermediatez its 1 ends andf having its innerewall vspaced -therefromrto provide a passage therepast; packing; :means carried bythe sleeve, a valveseatl uponthe supper. end of the sleeve,- anractuating'head slidably.Y engaginggthe upperiendsof ;the mandrel'` and pro-` v videdzwith valve means movable -therewith axiallyf'of vthe mandrelzxand .sleevefrorn. a normal unseated. position spaced from said .valve seatiinto` seating `engagement with the-avalve-.seatz.for-fclosing thertpassage,l a locking:head

upon thesmandrelpwithin. thegactuating head; finteren gaging splines; and keyways '.upon ./the 1 locking. head; and

thefr actuatingrhead;` .meansrfors-holdingf :the splines of. the

ward -f-movementz'of. the; actuating; head.v .relativer to: the mandrelgmeansupon thezabutting ends: of the :splinesffor moving the splines into alignment in responseistoidownwandsnnoverne1-1t-A .ofmthe ractuating: :head:I :relative -to zsaid locking-head; means ifrzrotatingeaid .actuatingheadrrelafs tive tto said; lockingzhead toimoversaidv ,splinesfinto .alignf ment. 'withiheire respective fkeywaysftopermit Ydownward movementsosaidactuatingmead relative to said@ locking head.: to 'iseatzsaidz'zvalve'ge and' anchoring meansv secured toathe'slowerf .endmof 1themandrel'1operableuto providev an 1 abutment again'stiwhiehrthe packig'fmeans :may be com- 3o. lockiugg;head;.normal1y alignedvwith and. .seatingv upon thexsplinesnof :thecactuating'zhead: for: .preventingi down- .innert Wall :spaced therefrom-- to provide. a passage4 therepast; paekingfrneans-.carried by-` the sleeve, va valve-seat -1 upon :the uppervend.- of the.l sleeve;- an actuating 'headfslid--. abl-yf engaging )that upper end: ofthe. -mandrel and providedzwitflnfvalve means movable, therewith `axiallyl` of :the z mandreleandnsleeve .ffromia normal; unseated: positionsp aed.: romfsaid. valve' lseatdntoiV .seating engagementv with` i the ivalve seat f.or.=.closing:fthe passage; a locking head 1 y upon ;the-,-mandre1:within: theiactuatingzhead, Lsplineswlongitudinally disposed within .the actuating .'head, each-.said r splineA having. itselowerffend: terminatingnin aan. upwardlyv inclined earn. face-spline:extensions :having: a, width: less: than said actnatngtheadwsplinesi:extending downwardlyl from saidvfcamv'taces .adjacent thee upward. end thereof,-

splines longitudinally '.disposedI upon the. locking headg said locking head splines fbeingtadapted to abut .thezac-4 tuating head .spline extensions, said lockingzhead: splines being. prowidedwith 'recesses -normally seating .theI lower'.

ends 1 of Lthe.nactua'ting-x head.;v splines and; having :inclined faces engaging fthe ncam. tfaces thereof, ;r said:I faces .being-.z arrangedztof-zurgegsaid locking-:head spline facesr andf-actuating heads splinexfaeeszinto; iinterengaging'; alignment' .t

and .saidtzlookingi head aspljnenin. sabutt-in'gi relation-1 with said actuating headfspline-extensionain:response :tor down-A4 1 ward thxsustsof saidiactuatingihcadinelativeuto saidzlocking.y

-head,.-n1eans,r for rotating ;said .'aetuatingrhead: relative.l to said lockingheaditoamove said?splines."into-.alignment 1 withmthein respeetive keywaysi-.td'permitodownward nuovement of sai-daactuating' cheadrelativento saidilocking head .i

to seat` saidnvalve, meansfsecuredi to.;;the;"lowerf.end of the mandrelz'operablezzto resistirotative'movement ofeithex; mandrelwvithatheaactuating ahead; Mand :anchoring: means" secured to. themandreh below .thesleeve'operable'y to pro-:p vide an abutmentnfor the5pac-kin`g means f.'L

Referenees..Cit`e'd -in .thele of this ,patente UNL'EED STATES; PATENTS Phippsaf. Auge-14; 1945 Waggener L Oct: 30, 1951 

